Siemens To Develop Innovative Seawater Desalination Technology ...

Excerpt from Water Online:

Siemens To Develop Innovative Seawater Desalination Technology

24 June 2008

Singapore - Siemens Water Technologies will develop an innovative seawater desalination technology, which could cut energy consumption by at least 50 percent compared to existing desalination technologies. The development of advanced desalination technology has been awarded a four million SGD research grant from Singapore's Environment and Water Industry Development Council (EWI).

"We truly consider this developing technology a breakthrough in the desalination market — with significant global implications on water resource management and the wider use of desalination in the future," said Chuck Gordon, CEO of Siemens Water Technologies.

Siemens will use the research grant to develop the technology at the company's Singapore-based global R&D center. EWI's challenge required demonstration of energy consumption of 1.5 kWh per cubic meter, which is about half of what has been demonstrated with the best available technology. In comparison to most of the actual operating desalination plants which consume as much as 10kWh per cubic meter the reduction could even be much higher. The reduction in power usage is critical to greater application of seawater desalination worldwide to reduce the CO2 footprint in the environment.

Siemens's technology is based on the innovative concept of removing salts from seawater in an electric field. The project awarded under this Challenge RFP will investigate a process that integrates electrodialysis, ion exchange softening, and a final desalting step using a novel continuous electrodeionization process to drive salt separation with minimum energy demand.

"By setting the bar high, EWI challenged innovators to creatively apply science and engineering to the reduction of energy consumption — one of the main issues with current desalination technology," said Gordon. "We are grateful to the Singapore government for their continuing support of water-related research and leadership in the world water community."

The ground-breaking research and development will be carried out by the company's global Research and Development Center in Singapore, which opened in late 2007. About 75 percent of the technical personnel for this effort will be based in Singapore, working in conjunction with R&D colleagues from the United States. The first demonstration of the new technology will be in Singapore.

"Proper management of our water resources is critical to meet the demands of population growth and industry," said Gordon. "There is no one, perfect solution for water resource management. But, today, this industry-advancing research and development effort will point the way forward to more efficiently manage this valuable natural resource."

See - Siemens To Develop Innovative Seawater Desalination Technology.